I hate myself for saying do the math, but strangely it makes me sit up and think. Of course, do the maths is the correct way to say it. What math am I doing then? This is a reminder about the small amounts that build up without being noticed. For exmple, when I see a cricket scorecard my head can’t work out how the 20s and 50s ended up amounting to 457 runs. I’m always surprised by that. The same is for buying cups of coffee. I like sitting in cafes with a coffee and typing away, just as I am now. So let’s work out some figures:

One long black (aka americano, this is a good coffee shop and not Starbucks opposite!) = £2.75. If I visited twenty times next month: 20 x 2.75, that’s £55 in coffee. Over a year that’s 55 x 12 = £660 a year, and I haven’t even ordered any food yet, or accounted for the second cup of coffee I need to pay for to justify taking up space for hours on end!

A closer look reminds me that I’m out of the house and typing away. And out of the house is where other people are. There’s a local library where I could sit, work and read. There’s a big positive knowing that annoying people using it as a work office not being there. I’m sold on this idea! This could be a good habit, but it hasn’t forced myself to create my budget planner, which is what I was trying get at in the title. I’m not done with this yet, but it’s time to move on.

It’s much later in the day now and I’m just about to create Google sheet for my outgoings. Importantly, I’ve created a calendar of good habits from now until January 31 next year. I have the chance to invest in myself and I’m going to do it. Structure and discipline are everything, It’s not easy to get to a good starting point when you’ve never been structured and disciplined. Sure, I’ve done some great things, but nowhere near as much as I could have done. And taking the whole of January off is a bit of a risk, but I will be moving forwards. I’ll be fitter, smarter, and happier. When I attend interviews I’ll happily tell them what I’ve been doing. But right now, I can’t put off starting my budget planner. Planning is everything.